Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Every word, every guitar sound Kristian Matsson produces always sounds so delicate, even if he's singing as if he's been stabbed by the King of Spain. I get it, you might not like his voice. That's fair.

But, that's not an argument I'm willing to waste time with. It's a lot like trying to make someone like Neil Young's or Bob Dylan's voice -- if it doesn't hit you in your gut right away, if it doesn't sound as if no one else could sing those exact words, you might as well travel on and find a prettier, trained voice.

I find that the artists whom I enjoy the most work with what they've been given, and they find a way to present their art with absolute feeling. Matsson qualifies as someone who has a gift, and knows how to use it without wondering if it sounds exactly like we have been told it should sound. To me, that is beautiful, because, at the very least, it's real.